Bowling-alley.



A. F. BUTLER.

sowum; ALLEY.

APPUCATION FILED ^UG3| |915. 1,302,897. Patented May 6, 1919.

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4 Q EMM/QW wa@ im l A. F. BUTLER.

vBOWL-ING ALLEY. APPLncATIoN FILED Aue@ |913 Patented May 6, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 e www STATESMTENT OFFICE Laoasev.

To all @07mm it may concern l Be it known that l, ALBERT "1?. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Sharon, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bowling-Alleys, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention `relates to new and useful improvements in bowling g alleys, and more particularly to those in use for playing ten `pins and duck pins.

The object of the invention is to provide a bowling alley providedwith means where# bv when the bowler slides or steps over the foul line in the act of throwing the ball, this fact will be indicated and a deflector in front of the pins will be thrownup so as to discharge the balls intotheitrough, thereby preventing the pins l from being knocked or bowled over and necessitating their resetting, the device lalsoservilng as a check against scoring when there is a foul.

TVith` the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds,

the `invention comprises the various` "novel features of construction and arrangeinentof parts which will be more fully described herein and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which like reference characters indicate the corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of an alley constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section,

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the deilector, and

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the cable pulling means.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the' l speciaatiitf tenis raient. Patented May 6, 1919.` applicati@ niet Anglers, ieraf `serial no. 248,094.`

Ashown at 19. Suitable means are arranged beneath; the foul line flooring part 18, such as expansible coil springs 20, so as to hold said depressible partof the flooring in alinement with the remaining part, limited in its upward movement at the hinge connection andadjacent to the foulline.

`rlrdjacent to the opposite end of the alley in front vof the pins or pin stops is a V- shapeddepressible flooring part 21, that is, such partV comprises a strip extending rearwardly at each side, the strip being pivoted at its opposite edges, as shown at 22, and being `held inalinement with the flooring by suitable means consisting of expansible coil springs 23, in the form shown.` The flooring part 21 isdesigned to be elevated instead of being depressed, `when operated, and for this purpose there is arranged longitudinally beneath the flooring a cable 24 which passes l beneath the iiooring part 18 and is anchored as shown at 25 to one of the transverse joists 16 beneath the runway 10, and passes around a series "of pulleys 26, the movable edge of the flooring part 18` at the foul line being provided with a depending portion 27 de- "signed to engage the cable for depressing the same and pulling upon the cable at the pit end thereof.`

At the pit end of the cable adjacent to the deflector part of the flooring, shown at 21, the cable passes around pulleys 28, being bifurcated andextended to opposite sides of the alley beneath the deflector part 21 and connected to the latter adjacent to its rear edges, so as to pull downwardly on the de pressible rear portion 22, thereby elevating the forward edge, while the springs 23 serve to return the flooring to its original position. This action is also assisted by a plurality of springs, preferably two, 29 connect ed to one of the joists 16 in front of the delector portion 21 and to the forward edge of the latter, as shown.

Thus, it will beseen that when a ball is thrownand the bowler steps over the foul line, the `platform 18 will be depressed thereby elevating the delector, so that when the ball. strikes the deilector, it will be discharged at either side of the alley without striking the pins and necessitating that the same be reset. l

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, itis thought that a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction,

operation, and advantages of my invention may be had, and whileI have shown' and described the device as embodying a specific structure, I desire that it be understood that such changes may be made in said structure as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

:LA bowling alley having a depressible portion adjacent to the foul line, a deflector adjacent to the pin stops adapted to be elevated, and means to ca-use elevation of the delector upon stepping on the depressible portion.

2.,In a bowling alley, a flooring having a runway, an alley portion includin a pin settingpart and a ball pit beyond t e same with stops on either side, a depressible flooring part beginning at the foul line of the alley, a deiiector in front of the pin stops, and connection between the depressible part and the deiiector for elevating the latter upon depressing the flooring part.

3. In a bowling alley, a flooring having a runway, an alley portion including a pin setting part and a ball pit beyond the same with stops on either side, a. depressible flooring part beginning at the foul line of the alley,l a. deflector in front of the pin stops, means for holding said depressible part of the flooring in alinement with the remaining Vcopies of this patent may be obtained for part, means for holding the deiiector part of the flooring in alinement with the remaining part of the flooring, said de'iector being substa-ntially of V-form and sloping at either side toward the ball pit, and cable connections between the depressible part of the flooring and the delector for elevating the latter upon depressing the iiooring adjacent to the foul line.

4. In a bowling alley, a flooring having a runway, an alley portion including a pin setting part and a ball pit beyond the same with stops on either side, a depressible Hooring part beginning at the foul line of the alley, a deiiector in front of the pin stops, means for holding said depressible part of the flooring lin alinement with the remaining part, means for holding the dei-lector part of the flooring in alinement with the remaining part of the flooring, said deiector being substantially of V-form and sloping at either side toward the ball pit, springs connected to the deflector and to the depressible portion to return the same to alinement with the flooring, a cable beneath the depressible part of the flooring and connected to the rear portion of the defiector part whereby to elevate the latter when the depressible part is moved downwardly to exert pull on the cable.

In testimony whereoi` I aHix my signature hereto.

ALBERT F. BUTLER.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

